Background and experience
Tom-Daniel Laugerud is an exercise physiologist with a master's degree in Sports Medicine from the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences (NIH). His work spans research, clinical practice, teaching, innovation and the development of healthcare services in which physical activity plays a role in prevention and treatment.
At NIH, he is employed as a researcher in the EU-funded Sport-IE project (EIT Higher Education Initiative), where he coordinates NIH's activities and contributions to the European project partnership. The project aims to strengthen innovation and entrepreneurial capacity within sport science higher education institutions across Europe, including the development of new solutions to promote physical activity and health. His work focuses particularly on developing students' skills and preparation for professional placements, enhancing employability and exploring new approaches to increasing physical activity levels in the population.
He is also employed as an adviser and coordinator at the Oslo Research Centre for Physical Activity and Public Health (ORC-PAPH). In this role, he contributes to the coordination, strategic development and academic activities of the centre, with a particular focus on health and public health policy and how research on physical activity can inform evidence-based policymaking and the development of healthcare services.
In addition, he teaches at bachelor's and master's levels in the Department of Sports Medicine.
Alongside his academic roles, he works part-time clinically in specialist healthcare services, delivering exercise-based treatment as part of multidisciplinary specialist treatment for substance use and addiction disorders.
Laugerud previously served as President of the Student Board at NIH and was actively involved in national student politics. Before entering the field of physical activity and health, he spent several years working in project management, communications and digital content production in both the public and private sectors. In 2020, he made a career change to exercise physiology, combining his experience in organisational development and project management with clinical expertise in physical activity and health.
Teaching
Teaches at bachelor's and master's levels in the Department of Sports Medicine, including:
- Exercise medicine and exercise-based treatment for different patient and population groups
- Health legislation, clinical documentation and legal aspects of healthcare
- Innovation and entrepreneurship
- Physical activity promotion
- Professional placements and employability
He also contributes to student supervision and the development of teaching activities that connect theory, clinical practice and professional working environments.
Research
His research and academic interests primarily concern physical activity and exercise in the prevention and treatment of disease, with a particular interest in substance use and mental health disorders and the integration of exercise-based interventions into healthcare services.
Other areas of interest include innovation and entrepreneurship in sport science and health, the development of practice-oriented education, and how research and knowledge on physical activity can be translated into health policy, public health initiatives and new healthcare services.